Why Does Akin Have To Go, But Paul Ryan Gets To Stay?

Seriously Republicans: why does Todd Akin have to go, but Paul Ryan gets to stay? A tip of my hat to Christine Pelosi for asking this great question on Politico yesterday.

In fact, Congressman Akin has got to be scratching his head at the recent turn of events.

Why are the Republicans so breathlessly chasing him from the field when they all - and especially Paul Ryan - have advocated essentially the same thing?

It's about the policy - there should be no rape exception to abortion. It's got to be confusing, especially since the Republicans put that in their party platform yesterday.

Congressman Akin has apologized for his dumb remarks about rape biologically preventing pregnancy. Repeatedly. But the Republicans are still professing to be "outraged" - shocked and stunned by Akin's comments.

"There's no excuse" for such caveman-like statements, they are saying. He's a Neanderthal, they claim. Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell says Akin's a "lost cause." The National Review says his views are "abhorrent." Check out these statements from Republicans in the video below:

Surely these same Republicans were equally outraged when Paul Ryan joined Akin to sponsor a bill, HR-3 -- which shows it was a top priority among House Republicans -- defining "forcible" rape. After all, even Akin himself admits that when he said "legitimate," he meant to say, "forcible." So were all the Republicans equally outraged by that bill? Of course not -- 177 of them actually signed on to the bill.

After lots of outcry the word "forcible" was removed, but the point was made. What they're saying is that "real" rape is only when the woman is hurt. If she doesn't get hurt, she must have enjoyed it, so it obviously wasn't rape. The women who are drugged and raped, they're not conscious so what's the harm? The women who don't fight back, who succumb in order to save themselves from further harm? Well, they obviously must secretly want it.

Yes, the whole Republican Party is now aligned against Akin in name, but solidly behind his ideas. With no exceptions for rape or Romney.

The party platform - what they stand for - matches Akin and Ryan's no-exemption-for-rape position, and it's their governing document. But none of the Republican establishment is jumping up and down about that, are they? So why are all these Republicans so quick to banish Akin from their ticket? Because he said out loud what they're all thinking and what they're all legislating, but hope we don't notice.

If you're outraged about Akin's comments, you should be outraged by the entire Republican establishment. But let's just start here and go one man at a time: if Akin is drummed from the Senate race, Ryan should go, too.